Van Oord JV Bags Santos port Dredging Contract

Van Oord has been awarded a contract by the Brazilian Ministry of Transport, Ports and Civil Aviation for the capital and maintenance dredging of the port of Santos. This project in the largest port of South America will be executed in a joint venture with Boskalis. The contract carries a total value for the joint venture of approximately EUR 110 million.

In the coming months studies will be done and the design of the navigation channels and berths of the port will be reviewed. Subsequent dredging operations are expected to start later this year with the deployment of various trailing suction hopper dredgers and a backhoe dredger. The dredging activities are expected to be completed in 2018.

Van Oord has been active in Brazil for decades and has since executed more than 40 dredging and marine construction projects along the Brazilian coastline. Since 2013 Van Oord carried out maintenance dredging in the port of Santos and currently we are executing dredging work in the Piaçaguera area. In this project the Piaçaguera river, which runs just behind port city Santos, is deepened in order to create access for larger vessels to stimulate Brazils export.

The ports of Brazil are responsible for 90% of the total exports of the country, by moving one billion tonnes of goods each year. These exports will be an important driver for future growth in Brazil. The port of Santos is responsible for almost 30% of Brazils total foreign trade and is key for exporting Brazilian produced goods like grain, fruit, iron ore, oil and fertilizers.